CBRE appoints global CIO

The $88bn Los Angeles behemoth has created a new role with a ‘broad charter’ for a long serving employee

CBRE Global Investors, the Los Angeles-based real estate investment giant with $88.4 billion of assets under management, has created a new role for a global chief investment officer for both listed and unlisted investments, it has revealed.

The uber-role goes to Ritson Ferguson who is expanding upon his current duties as chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer at CBRE Clarion Securities, CBRE Global Investors’ listed securities business. CBRE Clarion Securities is headquartered in Philadelphia that has $22 billion of assets and more than 85 staff in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia. As the new CIO of global investments across both the listed and unlisted sector, it makes him one of the most high-profile investment professionals in the private equity real estate industry.

Ferguson will continue to report into CBRE Global Investors’ chief, Matt Khourie, said the firm.

Khourie said in a statement: “I am excited to have Ritson step up to expanded responsibilities within our organization given his global perspective and his long tenure as a highly successful real estate investor.”

He added that Ferguson would have a “broad charter to ensure we have the best talent and appropriate structure”.

Ferguson has almost 30 years of real estate investment experience having been with CBRE Clarion Securities since 1991. He also has served on CBRE Global Investors’ global executive committee and global investment committee since 2011.

Ferguson called CBRE Global Investors an industry leader, and said: “I look forward to working even more closely with my colleagues to fully capitalize on the power of the CBRE platform to deliver strong investment performance to our clients in both listed and unlisted strategies.”